Qatar Airways increases Mombasa flights to five

Qatar Airways is set to increase its flights between Mombasa and Doha in December, stepping up competition for struggling national carrier Kenya Airways.

The Middle East carrier, which operates three daily flights to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, said they would be flying to Mombasa five times a week, up from four. The additional flight will run from December 20 to March 27.

“The increase in frequency will allow passengers to enjoy the wonders that this coastal city has to offer, and locals will have more opportunities to enjoy Qatar Airways’ extensive global network of more than 160 destinations,” said group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker in a statement yesterday.

The airline would deploy Airbus A320 on the Mombasa route for the additional flight. The aircraft has 12 business class seats and 120 seats in economy class. The additional flight on Fridays will depart Doha at 02:30hrs to arrive in Mombasa at 08:40hrs and leave Mombasa at 16:50hrs to arrive in Doha at 23:05hrs.

“This increase allows for further growth, and strengthens the bonds between the State of Qatar and Kenya,” said Mr Al Baker.